Processes of treating textile fibres before forming the same into a yarn



United States Patent O Sweden No Drawing. Filed Aug. 11, 1961, Ser. No. 130,760 Ciaims priority, appiigaztio7n/asweden, Aug. 30, 1960,

6 Claims. (Cl.117139.5')

In the practice of spinningby which term is to be understood the manufacture of worsted yarn or carded yarn from various kinds of textile fibres, natural as Well as synthetic fibres-spinning oils are applied to the fibres prior to the spinning operation in order to lubricate the fibres and facilitate the spinning of the same. Among such spinning oils oleic acid, mineral oil, etc., may be mentioned which are emulsified in water by means of emulsifiers and are applied to the fibre material in the form of emulsions. For the same purpose it is also known to add a solution or a dispersion of an alkylene oxide. I

The spinning of synthetic fibres, alone or in admixture with wool or cotton matter, for instance, has increased the demands made upon the spinning oil. Also the increased spinning speeds put higher requirements on the same. Thus, the spinning oil should be capable of preventing or counteracting the build-up of static electricity which may otherwise make the spinning of the fibres difficult or even impossible. Further, the spinning oil should preferably serve as an agent for imparting a softer feel to the yarn or cloth produced. This is true particularly in those cases where the spinning oil is not removed from the final product by subsequent washing.

It has now been discovered that certain sulphated alkylene oxide compounds can be used as spinning oils in the spinning of textile fibres. By the term alkylene oxide compounds are to be understood addition products of alkylene oxides, such as ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide and/ or butylene oxide, to various hydrophobic substances containing polar groups having at least one active hydrogen atom. By suitably selecting the hydrophobic constituent and the chain length of the alkylene oxide it is possible .to vary the properties of the product as required. Thus, the ethylene oxide chain may be attached to the hydrophobic group by ester, ether, amide or amine bonds, for example. If a straight alkyl group having 8 to 22 carbon atoms, such as lauryl, oleyl, or stearyl group, is chosen as the hydrophobic constituent, whilst the polar group is formed by COOH, OH, NH or CDNHQ, it is possible, by adding 3 to 10 mols of ethylene oxide and sulphating the resulting compound, to obtain a product having softening properties. If an alkylaryl group, such as an alkyl phenol, having 8 to 12 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, is chosen as the hydrophobic constituent, it is possible, at a suitable length of the alkylene oxide chain, for instance a chain length corresponding to 2 to 8 alkylene oxide units, and by sulphating the compound, to obtain a product capable of effectively counteracting the build-up of static charges. By. suitable choice of the hydrophobic group and at a suitable ratio of the hydrophobic to the hydrophilic, constituents of the molecule products will be obtained having friction increasing properties, resulting in a highly improved adhesion between the fibres. Such properties, of course, are not restricted to definite substances, but certain sulphated alkylene oxide compounds may have a good softening effect as well as good anti-static properties. A further advantage of the products proposed according to the present invention resides in the fact that at suitable chain lengths spun.

3,197,333 Patented July 27, 1965 they are readily dispersible or readily soluble in water, whereby they can easily be removed from the fibres by subsequent washing. p

Examples of suitable hydrophobic substances which may be used in preparing the sulphated alkylene oxide compounds according to the invention are: carboxylic acids, such as pelargonic, caproic, lauric, myristic, pailmitic, stearic, .behenic, arachic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic and .abietic acid; alcohols, such as octyl, nonyl, lauryl, tridecyl, tetradecyl, cetyl, octadecyl, eicosyl, oleyl and abietyl alcohol; amides, such as cetyl, decyl, tetradecyl,

octadecyl, octadecenyl andoctadecadienyl amide; amines, such as cetyl, decyl, tetradecyl, octadecyl, octadecenyl and octadecadienyl amine; phenols, such as octyl, nonyl, decyl, undecyl and dodecyl phenol. The hydrophobic alkyl chain may be -a straight or branched chain.

It may be of advantage in certain cases to use the sulphated alkylene oxide compounds in admixture with other substances. Thus it is possible, for instance, to use mixtures of sulphated ethylene oxide compounds and nonsulphatedalkylene oxide compounds in cases where it is specially desired to enhance the friction-increasing properties of the spinning oil. Amongst such non-sulphated alkylene oxide compounds may be mentioned: alkylphenol alkylene oxide compounds, estersof resin acids, such as able-tic acid, with polyglycols, etc. Further, in order to increase the softening properties of the spinning oil the sulphated alkylene oxide compounds may be mixed with other sulphated products, such as fatty alcohol sulpirates and sulphated vegetable oils. Various sulphated alkylene oxide compounds may also be mixed with each other and employed as spinning oils. To these products such additives as oleic acid, for instance, may be made in order to facilitate the fulling.

The sulphated alkylene oxide compounds according to the present invention are suitably applied to the fibres to be spun in the form of an aqueous dispersion or solution, but it is also possible to apply the same to the fibres by spraying them in a non-diluted state, either before or in the course of the spinning operation. The amount of spinningoil applied as well'as the concentration thereof in Water depends on the properties of the material to be Where worsted yarn is concerned, 0.1 to 0.5% of spinning oil based upon the weight of the yarn will usually be sufiicient. In the production of carded yarn, on the other hand, 0.3 to 2.0% of spinning oil based upon the weight of the yarn would normally have to be employed. In particular cases, larger as well as smaller amounts of spinning oil may be used, however. The weight of the dispersion or solution usually amounts to 10 to 20% based upon the weight of the finished product.

The following non-limiting'examples are given to illustrate the process of the invention.

Example 1 6 mols of ethylene oxide are reacted with 1 m-ol of stearyl alcohol at a superatrnospheric pressure, suitably :at a temperature ranging between 12.0 and C. and in the presence of an alkaline catalyst, such as NaOH.

The reaction product is then sulphated. The sulphation may be effectedin the usual way by means of sulpham-inic acid, chlorosulph-onic acid or gaseous S0 When using sulpharninic acid the ammonium salt of the acid sulphuric acid ester will result. If chlorosulphonic acid or S0 are used, it is common practice to prepare the sodium salt.

If the sulphated product thus obtained is to be used in the production of carded yarn from wool for use in the trieot industry, a base solution is first prepared by dissolving the product in water in a weight ratio of 1 to 15. The product is then applied to the wool for instance by spraying in an amount of 0.75% by weight based upon the wool (which corresponds to 11.2% by weight of the base solution), whereby an undisturbed process and good yield Will be obtained.

Example 2 A product obtained by reacting 6 mols of ethylene oxide with one mol of lauryl alcohol and subsequently sulphating the compound was dissolved in Water in a weight ratio of 1 to 25. In the manufacture of worsted yarn from dyed coarse wool the spinning process is usually aggravated by the wool becoming electrically charged. After addition of 0.2% by weight of .the said product, however, there were no disturbances due to static electricity.

Example 3 By reacting 7 mols of ethylene oxide with one mol of oleyl alcohol and sulphating the compound, a sulphated oleyl alcohol ethylene oxide compound was obtained, and by esterification of abietic acid with a polyglycol ester having an average molecular weight of 600, an abietic acid polyglycol ester was produced. A mixture of 1 part of the sulphated'oleyl alcohol ethylene oxide compound and 2 parts of the abietic acid polyglycol ester was dissolved in water in a weight ratio of 1 to 10. In the production of carded rayon the solution was added in a quantity such that the final yarn contained 1.8% by weight of the mixed products. The spinning oil produced a satistactory adhesion between the rayon fibres and enabled a non-disturbed carding of the material.

Example 4 A product obtained by reacting 6 mols of ethylene oxide with one mol of oleyl amine and subsequently sulpha-ting the compound was dissolved in water 1n a weight ratio of 1 to 12. In the carding of polyamme fibres the solution was applied in an amount such as to cause the textile material to contain 0.75% by weight of this material. The spinning oil prevented or counteracted the build-up of static electricity.

Example A product obtained by the reacting 7 mols of ethylene oxide with one mol of cetyl alcohol and subsequent sulphating was dissolved in water in a weight ratio of 1 to 12, and the solution was added to polyacrylnitrile fibres. alone and to such fibres mixed with wool in a weight ratio of 55 to 45. The quantity of sulphated ethylene oxide compound added was 0.6% by weight based upon the fibres. In the subsequent carding operation the spinning oil imparted a soft and full feel to the product and prevented the build-up of static electricity.

Example 6 An alkyl phenol-alkylene oxide compound obtained by reacting 6 mols of ethylene oxide with one mol of nonyl phenol and being subsequently sulphated was mixed in a weight ratio of 1 to 2 with a dammar-polyglycol ester obtained by using 4 mols of propylene oxide and 16 mols of ethylene oxide per average mol of damrnar. In the manufacture of worsted yarn from a 1:1 mixture of wool and rayon 0.3% by weight based upon the fibre material of the above-mentioned mixed product was added whereby the build-up of static electricity was effectively eliminated. When spinning such wool-rayon mixtures encountered.

4 Example 7 By reacting 4 mols of ethylene oxide with one mol of tridecyl alcohol and subsequently sulphating the product a sulphated tridecyl alcohol-ethylene oxide compound was obtained which was mixed with a sulphated and partially hydrogenated sperm oil in a weight ratio of about 2 to 1. The mixture was dissolved in water in a weight ratio of 1 to 10 and, prior to carding, it was added to wool in an amount of 1.2 by weight of the product-mixture based upon the wool. In the course of the carding there were no disturbances due to static electricity and the yield was satisfactory.

Example 8 2 mols of propylene oxide, were reacted with one mol of tridecyl alcohol, and the reaction product obtained was sulphated by means of chlorosulphonic acid. The sulphated product was mixed in a weight ratio of 1 to 1 with a product obtained by reacting 10 mols of ethylene oxide with one mol of nonyl phenol. The mixture was dissolved in water in a weight ratio of 1 to 10. From this solution, in the carding of Wool, 10% by weight based upon the carded ware (corresponding to 1% by weight of the mixture) were sprayed onto the wool.

What we claim is:

1. A process for reducing the buildup of static electricity of textile fibers during the spinning thereof to form yarn which comprises applying to the textile fibers a sulphated reaction product of an alkylene oxide having from two to four carbon atoms in the molecule and a hydrophobic organic substance having a polar group containing at least one active hydrogen atom and selected from the group consisting of acyclic compounds having from eight .to twenty-two carbon atoms and alkyl aryl compounds having from eight to twelve carbon atoms in the alkyl chain; and a non-sulphated reaction product of an alkylene oxide having from two to four carbon atoms in the molecule and a hydrophobic substance containing a polar group having at least one active hydrogen atom and selected from the group consisting of acyclic compounds having from eight to twenty-two carbon atoms and alkyl aryl compounds having from eight to twelve carbon atoms in the alkyl chain; the said compounds being applied in an amount to reduce the buildup of static electricity.

2. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the non-sulphated condensation product is .a polyglycol ester of a resin acid.

3. A process in accordance with claim 1 in which the polar group of at least one of the sulphated and nonsulphated reaction products is a hydroxyl group.

4. A process in accordance with claim 1 in which the polar group of at least one of the sulphated and nonsulphated reaction products is a NH group.

5. A process in accordance with claim 1 in which the polar group of at least one of the sulphated and nonsulphated reaction products is a COOH group.

6. .A process in accordance with claim 1 in which at least one of the sulphated and non-sulphated reaction products is derived from two to ten moles of the alkylene oxide and one mole of the hydrophobic substance.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS WILLIAM D. MARTIN, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD D. NEVIUS, Examiner. 

1. A PROCESS FOR REDUCING THE BUILDUP OF STATIC ELECTRICITY OF TEXTILE FIBERS DURING THE SPINNING THEROF TO FORM YARN WHICH COMPRISES APPLYING TO THE TEXTILE FIBERS A SULPHATED REACTION PRODUCT OF AN ALKYLATED OXIDE HAVING FROM TWO TO FOUR CARBON ATOMS IN THE MOLECULE AND A HYDROPHOBIC ORGANIC SUBSTANCE HAVING A POLAR GROUP CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE ACTIVE HYDROGEN ATOM AND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ACYCLIC COMPOUNDS HAVING FROM EIGHT TO TWENTY-TWO CARBON ATOMS AND ALKYL ARYL COMPOUNDS HAVING FROM EIGHT TO TWELVE CARBON ATOMS IN THE ALKYL CHAIN; AND A NON-SULPHATED REACTION PRODUCT OF AN ALKYLENE OXIDE HAVING FROM TWO TO FOUR CARBON ATOMS IN THE MOLECULE AND A HYDROPHOBIC SUBSTANCE CONTAINING A POLAR GROUP HAVING AT LEAST ONE ACTIVE HYDROGEN ATOM AND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ACYCLIC COMPOUNDS HAVING FROM EIGHT TO TWENTY-TWO CARBON ATOMS AND ALKYL ARYL COMPOUNDS HAVING FROM EIGHT TO TWELVE CARBON ATOMS IN TH ALKYL CHAIN; THE SAID COMPOUNDS BEING APPLIED IN AN AMOUNT TO REDUCE THE BUILDUP OF STATIC ELECTRICITY. 